There are so many great deals to be found online. You could be browsing online looking for something specific, or maybe an advertisement pops up on your feed flashing an amazing deal you can’t miss. You find yourself on an unfamiliar website, excited about the great items and affordable prices. You click buy, the standard shipping time, and start waiting for your items.
Except, your items never come. Or they finally do arrive, and it’s such bad quality you feel like you’ve been scammed.
Okay – hopefully, instead of all that, you did a doubletake before you checked out your cart and stopped to ask yourself, is this website safe? Scammers con hundreds of thousands of people every year. And during the pandemic, the FTC reports that consumers lost $43.30M from online shopping fraud alone.
From years of consumer data and current research, Sitejabber has put together a checklist of all the red flags you need to know to avoid a scam website. Let’s get into the top things you need to know to shop safely!
Red Flags to Check if a Shopping Site is Legit
1. The website’s connection. Listen to your browser’s safety indicators. A URL should also always be “https,” not “http.” The “s” indicates that a website is secure. However, this is not an indication of legitimacy. A scam website can have a secure connection but still con you of your money.
2. Check the URL. If you’re shopping from a familiar website, check first that there isn’t anything suspicious about the URL. There are tons of copycat websites hoping to trick you. Also, check that the website doesn’t have any uncommon website suffixes, also called top-level domains (TLDs).
3. Scam websites often have poor grammar and spelling throughout the website.
4. Reputable websites should regulate their ads in an organized way. If too many ads are popping up, be wary.
5. Check for customer service contact information. It’s best if there is a phone number – call to make sure that the number works. The more customer support they provide, the less likely they are a scam. And if you are having trouble with your order, you’ll have someone to fix your issue.
6. Check to see if their physical address is their real location by using Google Maps. If they don’t provide an address, that’s a red flag.
7. Never use a website that requires you to pay through unsafe methods. Do not send money to a PayPal address, wire money, make a bank transfer, or send a money order.
8. Always check the shipping and return policies before you buy. If either of these policies is poor or nonexistent, save yourself from a headache and avoid the site. Oftentimes, they won’t provide much return information, and you’ll end up having to pay more to return the item than it was originally worth!
9. If you found the site from a Facebook ad, check their Facebook page and see when the page was created. If you’re searching up a website, use WHOIS to check when they registered. If the website is brand new, do additional research to see if people have had good experiences. If you find that the store is new while touting going out of business sales, this is a sure sign of a scam.
10. If you think the product photos look fishy, you’re probably right. If the photos are inconsistent, low-quality, or look photoshopped, avoid the site. You can also run an image search to see if the images can be found on other sites – if so, the designs are likely stolen.
11. Lastly, always check reviews. Whether you are starting your research process or are still unsure if a website is safe, previous customers who shared their experiences already are a valuable resource to help you decide.
For the full list and animations to walk you through each tip, check out the guide to spot a scam website here.
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